It is difficult being right
Many great heresies and small misunderstandings come from trying to unite things that are separate, and to separate things that are united.
The relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is probably the most common point of confusion.
Last Sunday, Jesus challenged us to wrestle with the truth that the Father and the Son are both united as one, and at the same time separate persons. This Sunday, Jesus promises that he will not leave us alone while we wait for him to return to bring us to the Father. On the one hand, he says, “I will come to you.” On the other hand, he promises to ask the Father to send us the Spirit to be our companion, our advocate, and our comforter. We are left to wrestle with the fact that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are united as one God, and at the same time separate persons.
The role of laypeople and the different ranks of clergy are similarly a point of confusion and argument. In previous eras, people often minimized the power of the Holy Spirit working in lay people, and thought that holiness was both irrelevant and impossible for lay people. In modern times, people more often minimize the role of the Bishop, and of ordained clergy, and claim for themselves the roles, rights, and responsibilities reserved for the ordained.
In our first reading, the deacon Philip went to Samaria, and did many great signs. He cast out unclean spirits, and healed many people. But, the Samaritans did not receive the Holy Spirit until the Apostles Peter and John came to pray for them. The Spirit was working in the lay faithful, and in the ranks of clergy, but worked differently through each. As Catholics, we understand there is a hierarchy within the church, but how does that work when the authorities are abusive to their flock? Where do our rights, responsibilities, and roles begin, and how do they interact with the rights, responsibilities, and roles of others? It’s tricky…
Not only do we get confused about the relationship between the Divine Persons, and the relationship between lay people and the ranks of clergy, but we also get confused about all sorts of concepts and ideas. Very often, for example, we think of love and the law as things opposed to one another. In today’s Gospel, Jesus again reminds us that love leads to obedience to the law, and that obedience to the commandments is also love. Sometimes love calls us to call someone to repentance. Sometimes love calls us to quietly accompany the sinner. How do we know which to do, and how to do both?
And, finally, even when we get the facts right, sometimes we go about “being right” the wrong way. Saint Peter exhorts us to give an explanation with gentleness and reverence. Often, we argue and bully, instead. We get wrapped up in winning the fight instead of rejoicing to share our hope and our joy. Especially when we argue on the internet, or via text messages, or when we over-lubricate our arguments with alcohol.
And that is exactly why we need the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to be our counselor, our companion, and our advocate. We need that Spirit of truth living in us to teach us. We need the Holy Spirit to help us keep the commandments to love God, and to love our neighbor. We need the Holy Spirit to guard our lips and our hearts.
We receive the Spirit in Baptism, and in Confirmation, and also when we invite the Holy Spirit to come fresh upon us and work in us and through us. If you are not baptized or confirmed, talk to your pastor. If there are obstacles to receiving those sacraments, discuss how those obstacles can be eliminated.
Either way, invite the Holy Spirit to work fresh in your life. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you into truth, and to give you joy. On Thursday the twenty-first, we celebrate the Ascension. After another nine days, we celebrate Pentecost. Nine days are exactly enough time to pray a novena. In fact, the nine days between our Lord’s Ascension into heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit were the original novena.
There are many ways you might pray a novena. The internet is full of both traditional and modern ideas. Most of them need too many words, and are hard to remember. If you can find one you really like, or feel called to pray, then pray it!
I intend to pray a very simple novena, and invite you to join me. For each of the nine days after the Ascension and before Pentecost, I will pray, once a day: the Our Father, the Glory Be, then this:
Come Holy Spirit.
Come now.
Come as you wish.
I’ll probably add an extra Hail Mary, since she has such a special and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
This is no magic formula. We do not control God with our prayers, but I am confident that if we offer these simple prayers, with the intention of praying a novena to invite the Holy Spirit to be more active in our lives, and make a good confession and receive communion as soon as we are able, that the Holy Spirit will honor our request, and come to bring joy, peace, comfort, hope, power, and truth to our heart and life.
May it be so. Amen.
